Meeting on Monday night
In a move that is facing growing criticism within the CDU, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has decided to halt the delivery of German weapons to Israel. The decision has been met with opposition from Boris Rhein, the first minister president, who believes that Germany must continue to equip Israel to support its fight against the terrorist organization Hamas.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is reportedly being considered for participation in a meeting between American President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. As of August 19, 2025, Zelensky has been invited and met with Trump at the White House, following Trump's summit with Putin. Both leaders, along with others, expressed support for a trilateral meeting involving Trump, Zelensky, and Putin, although Putin has historically resisted such a summit. Trump also indicated a willingness to provide U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, although specifics were not detailed.
The location for the potential Putin-Trump meeting has been set in Alaska, which holds great symbolic significance as it was bought by the USA from Russia in 1867. It is unclear at this time whether Zelensky will be present for this meeting.
In other news, the Israeli army had previously presented alleged evidence of al-Sharif's Hamas membership in October last year. Overnight on Monday, Israel carried out a targeted missile strike that killed several journalists in Gaza, including Palestinian Al-Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the attack as a violation of international humanitarian law.
In Switzerland, the Swiss initiative "for a selection-free transition to lower secondary school" did not come to fruition due to insufficient signatures. Similar initiatives in the canton of Bern also failed.
In the realm of technology, artificial intelligence is enabling researchers to discover new, previously unknown patterns, transforming the most fundamental processes of science.
Elsewhere, the CSU, the Bavarian sister party of the CDU, is working on a way out of the dilemma regarding the weapons delivery to Israel.
Lastly, the Zug rapper OG Florin and Zurich producer and multi-instrumentalist Melodiesinfonie have created a sound that draws from their surroundings but doesn't sound provincial, thanks to improvisation and humor.
References: [1] [Source for specifics on U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine]
The CSU, striving to find a solution to the CDU's predicament regarding the weapons delivery to Israel, is actively working on an alternative policy. Meanwhile, the economic and social policy implications of the potential Putin-Trump meeting, along with the political ramifications of the ongoing war-and-conflicts in the Middle East, such as the violence involving Hamas and Israel, remain a topic of general news and crime-and-justice discussions. Additionally, the justice system's role in assessing claims of Hamas membership, like those presented against al-Sharif, is under scrutiny, given the recent attack on journalists.
